White Plains native Monica Arismendez takes on new leadership role at Post Road

Monica Arismendez, the new assistant principal at Post Road Elementary School, grew up in the White Plains City School District, was inspired by the educators she encountered as a student and ultimately chose to build her own career in the same school system. 

Ms. Arismendez, who is beginning her 10th year in the district, said she has wanted to pursue school leadership since she was in high school.  

“Building leadership is something I’ve wanted since I was a student here in White Plains,” she said. “To be able to serve my community in this way has just been really special.”

The incoming AP began her district career as a substitute and later became a building substitute at Ridgeway School, where she went on to teach third grade for a year. She subsequently served as a STEM enrichment teacher for fourth- and fifth-graders districtwide and then spent two years as the STEM enrichment teacher at Post Road. 

Most recently, she was the district’s coordinator of STEM for pre-K through sixth grade. She also served as assistant principal of elementary summer school in 2023.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Seton Hall University and a master’s degree in childhood STEM education and a gifted and talented certificate from Hunter College. She later earned an education specialist degree in education leadership, management and policy from Seton Hall.

As she begins her new position, Ms. Arismendez said one of her first priorities will be reconnecting with the Post Road community while allowing students and families who already know her to become familiar with her in a different capacity. She also looks forward to meeting families who are new to the school.

“My priorities would really be just relearning the Post Road community, making sure that I am connecting with students and families and helping them to see me in this new role,” she said.

Ms. Arismendez describes herself as warm, friendly and welcoming and said she wants to know students beyond their academic work, including their interests, activities and lives outside the classroom.

“That’s the whole point of being in these kinds of roles, to make sure that you’re visible and around,” she said. “I want them to just see me as someone that they want to connect with on a consistent basis” -- whether they want to discuss an accomplishment, their friends and family or simply something fun they did over the weekend.

Ms. Arismendez, who also worked with children through the White Plains Recreation and Parks Department, traces her interest in education to her own years as a White Plains student, saying she had “phenomenal teachers,” including one who made a particularly lasting impression: third-grade teacher Monica Bermiss.

Years later, there was an unexpected connection between Ms. Arismendez’s experiences as a student and teacher. When she became a third-grade leave replacement at Ridgeway, she taught in the same classroom where she had once been Bermiss’ student.

Outside of school, Ms. Arismendez serves as a workshop facilitator for G.O.O.D. For Girls Inc. in Valhalla, which mentors girls ages 9 through 18. She is also an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.. She enjoys attending concerts and Pilates and is a basketball fan who roots for both Seton Hall and the New York Knicks.

She said she particularly values White Plains’ diversity and the connections that exist across the community. 

“White Plains is very big and small at the same time,” she said. For those who grew up in the district and later returned to work in its schools, she added, “There’s such a pride we have.”